Easy Paneer Tikka (Gluten-Free, No Oven)
Do you love the sizzling Paneer Tikka/ skewers served in the restaurants? Have you always thought this is too complex to make at home? Well, then you’re in the right place. This simple recipe will equip you with making the Finger Licking, Melt-in-your-mouth Paneer Tikka at home without an Oven!
What is the difference between Paneer Tikka, Paneer Tikka Masala and Paneer Kebab?
Paneer tikka is a dish made with paneer and vegetables marinated with a rich yogurt based marinade consisting of spices like cloves, black pepper corns, red chillies, ginger, garlic and cooked in a oven/ grill.
The dish made with paneer tikka in a rich tomato based gravy and cream is called Paneer Tikka Masala.
Kebabs are made with minced/ grated paneer often mixed with a variety of spices (not yogurt) and cooked in an oven/ grill.
Can I make paneer Tikka without skewers?
Absolutely! Traditionally, paneer tikka is made in tandoor/ oven and having the marinated paneer pieces with vegetables on a skewer helped cook the dish uniformly. However, this recipe does not use an oven and you can directly cook the marinated yummies on the griddle and cook them uniformly by flipping them at the appropriate time.
What type of yogurt to use for paneer tikka marinade?
Thick yogurt works best for paneer tikka marinade. Greek yogurt, homemade yogurt (preferably made using whole milk) can be used. If the yogurt is watery, you may want to hang the yogurt in muslin cloth for about 15-20 minutes to get thick creamy yogurt.
How to Make Paneer Tikka At Home?
Is Paneer Tikka spicy?
A common misconception is to confuse the word “Tikka” with “Teekha”. Tikka is a word stemming back to the mughal period and is used for dishes (meat, vegetables, paneer) that are marinated in a yogurt based spice mixture and cooked in a clay oven (tandoor). The spice level can be easily adjusted according to your palate with the spice mixture. Teekha is a word in Hindi that means “Hot”. Dishes that with the prefix, “Teekha” imply the heat level is high.
Absolutely! Frozen paneer can be thawed by keeping it at room temperature for about 2-3 hours or by soaking in hot water for about 15 minutes. Make sure paneer is malleable before using it for the recipe.
What ingredients do I need to make Paneer Tikka at Home?
Paneer: High quality paneer is key to getting the heavenly melt-in-your-mouth texture. You can either use homemade or a store-bought brand that you trust.
Optional: I’ve used a cookie cutter to shape them :).
Yogurt: Fresh, thick homemade/ greek yogurt is essential to the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Vegetables: Onions, bell peppers, ginger garlic paste, half a lemon juice.
Spice mixture: Cumin powder, Clove powder, Coriander powder, Red Chilli powder, salt, black salt, dried fenugreek leaves, some corn starch and mustard oil.
Color: Restaurants use food color to add the signature red color to the dish. I prefer using beetroot.
Step by Step process for making paneerTikka without oven/ tandoor
Preparation:
- Wash and chop vegetables. Cut onions into about 1 inch pieces and separate out the layers. Remove the stem and seeds of the bell peppers and chop them into 1 inch pieces.
- If using frozen paneer, make sure it is ready as explained above. Cut the paneer into cubes or any interesting shape of your choice. I used cookie cutters for getting cute heart shapes, large and small :).
The Marinade:
- In a bowl, whisk the yogurt well to remove lumps. Add in the spices – salt, black salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder, clove powder, coriander powder, ginger garlic paste and mix well. Add in the oil, fenugreek leaves and corn starch (optional).
- For a vibrant color, I added grated beetroot to get a gorgeous red color for a portion of the marinade, you can also use a food color.
Marination:
- Thoroughly coat the large paneer pieces in the marinade, taking care not to break them while mixing and set aside.
- Then, add in the vegetables- onions, and bell peppers. Now, coat the little heart shaped paneer pieces into the gorgeous red marinade.
- Let the paneer pieces and vegetables marinate for 15-20 minutes to make sure the spices are infused.
Grilling:
- Turn on the stovetop, place the grill/ griddle/ tawa and coat thoroughly with oil. Thoroughly coating the grill with oil is key to prevent the paneer pieces and vegetables from sticking.
- If you have skewers available, thread the vegetables and paneer pieces. Have fun with the colors to alternate different colors. Else, you can directly place the vegetables and paneer pieces onto the grill.
- Once the griddle is hot, place the skewers on the grill and use some butter/ oil. Keep turning the skewers after 2-3 minutes until the pieces are golden brown and are charred around the edges.
Serving suggestion:
- Serve your scrumptious paneer tikka with some chopped onions, colorful cabbage (optional), and lemon juice.
- Yogurt dip: Add some salt, pepper and garlic powder and crushed peanuts to whisked greek yogurt.
Related Recipes:
EASY PANEER TIKKA (GLUTEN-FREE, NO OVEN)
Equipment
- 1 Griddle
Ingredients
- 350 grams Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
Marinade
- ¾ cup Thick Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Mustard oil
- ½ tbsp Cornstarch gluten-free
- ½ tbsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tbsp Coriander powder
- ¾ tsp Red Chilli powder
- 1 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ tsp Clove powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black salt
Vegetables
- 1/2 Medium Red Onion
- 1 Medium Green bell pepper
- 1 Medium Yellow bell pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash and chop vegetables. Cut onions into about 1 inch pieces and separate out the layers. Remove the stem and seeds of the bell peppers and chop them into 1 inch pieces.
- If using frozen paneer, make sure it is ready as explained above. Cut the paneer into cubes or any interesting shape of your choice. I used cookie cutters for getting cute heart shapes, large and small :).
The Marinade
- In a bowl, whisk the yogurt well to remove lumps. Add in the spices - salt, black salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder, clove powder, coriander powder and mix well. Add in the oil, fenugreek leaves and corn starch (optional).
- For the smaller sized paneer, I added some grated beetroot to get a gorgeous red color for a portion of the marinade, you can also use a food color.
Marination
- Thoroughly coat the large paneer pieces in the marinade, taking care not to break them while mixing and set aside.
- Then, add in the vegetables- onions, and bell peppers. Now, coat the little heart shaped paneer pieces into the gorgeous red marinade.
- Let the paneer pieces and vegetables marinate for 15-20 minutes to make sure the spices are infused.
Grilling
- Turn on the stovetop, place the grill/ griddle/ tawa and coat thoroughly with oil. Thoroughly coating the grill with oil is key to prevent the paneer pieces and vegetables from sticking.
- If you have skewers available, thread the vegetables and paneer pieces. Have fun with the colors to alternate different colors. Else, you can directly place the vegetables and paneer pieces onto the grill.
- Once the griddle is hot, place the skewers on the grill and use some butter/ oil. Keep turning the skewers after 2-3 minutes until the pieces are golden brown and are charred around the edges.